America 1987

Chapter 25 First Encounter with Tom Cruise

However, David's compliments did not dispel Catherine's doubts. "Why did you suddenly decide to bring me to the premiere of 'Bond'?"

"What a surprise!" David answered honestly. "If I told you beforehand, you'd definitely be anxious and it might even affect the reshoots in the studio. If I tell you after we get off the plane, you won't have time to think about it. You can relax and maybe even outshine those old ladies who came today."

"I don't have the guts. I'd be more than satisfied if I could see old Bond in person today."

"It's not just about looking; without me, you could still be starring in a movie with Bond more than ten years from now," David thought to himself with a smile.

"And, David," Catherine wasn't swayed by the change of topic, "I asked why you brought me here, not why you suddenly brought me here."

"Well……"

Seeing that he couldn't avoid the topic, David could only scratch his nose and say, "Actually, I was worried that I wouldn't have many people to talk to when I got there, and it would be a bit awkward standing there alone. After thinking about it, I felt it was more reliable to go with someone, so..."

At this point, he made a "you know" gesture.

"So you brought me along just so you'd have someone to talk to later?" Catherine asked, feigning displeasure.

Of course she knew that wasn't what he meant, but she asked anyway because Catherine noticed that David seemed to have an excessive desire to express himself, so she went along with it and... she also wanted to hear how he would answer next.

“Of course not,” David shook his head. “Remember what I told you, Cathy?”

Catherine looked puzzled, frowned, and thought for a moment before asking uncertainly, "You mean a psychological shift?"

"Bingo!" David snapped his fingers. "That's right, remember, the psychological shift."

David had mentioned this concept to Catherine during a casual conversation when they were discussing different acting methods.

David once mentioned that among the three major schools of acting, Method acting relies on psychological transformation, Expressionism relies on external techniques, while Experiential acting is a more extreme form of Method acting, which relies heavily on talent and has too many side effects on actors, so it is not recommended to use this acting style.

Attending a premiere and engaging in industry exchanges and socializing is essentially a performance in itself.

Moreover, there is no script for red carpet interviews, chance encounters, or seating conflicts. Actors must immediately understand the other person's identity and adjust their tone and posture accordingly, just like an improvisational stage performance.

In principle, it is closest to the Method acting style, which is why David mentioned psychological transformation.

Bringing Catherine to the star-studded premiere will help her transition from a bystander to a participant, interact with these big stars, and subtly influence her mindset to gradually become that of a celebrity.

The premiere of Sean Connery's film was quite a lively affair, with many big-name stars and producers in attendance.

For example, this person now...

"Hey Tommy, long time no see."

"You too, David. I heard you're making a movie lately?" Tom Cruise, who was talking to his wife, immediately flashed his signature bright smile upon hearing the familiar voice and warmly shook hands with David.

Tom Cruise is an artist under CAA, so it's not surprising that he knows David Ovitz.

Moreover, although he became a Hollywood superstar last year with "Top Gun", it was an overnight success and his foundation is not yet solid. People in the industry and his age group are often too far behind him to talk to; veteran stars, with their status and seniority, often look down on such a young and inexperienced member.

Yes, a member of the "brute force" (a term referring to young, inexperienced individuals), he became a rising star at the age of 24 by starring in a film that topped the global box office. No one is more deserving of this title than him.

Perhaps anticipating that he would likely find himself in this awkward situation with no one to talk to, he brought his wife, Mimi Rogers, whom he had just married last month, along with him.

"This must be Mrs. Cruise, right?"

While questioning Tom, David Ovitz secretly sized him up.

Well, he's not bad looking; his features are well-proportioned and his eyes are very expressive. However, in Hollywood, where beauties abound, he appears somewhat ordinary, and his facial features aren't as refined as Tom Cruise's.

Moreover, it is said that his wife was 6 years older than Tom, which explains why the marriage only lasted three years.

"And this is...?"

"Catherine, Catherine Zeta-Jones," David Ovitz introduced with a smile, "my girlfriend, and also the leading lady in my movie, Molly."

After exchanging pleasantries, they prepared to enter.

But before they parted, David asked, "I heard you're having trouble developing the script for your new movie, Tommy?"

"Well," Tom Cruise hesitated for a moment, but still told the truth, "Yes, that's right. Barry's script didn't satisfy Dustin, and they're still revising it."

"Oh?" David raised an eyebrow and volunteered, "Why don't you let me give it a try, Tommy?"

"you?"

"Of course," David Ovitz said, unconcerned by Tom's distrust, "Don't forget I wrote the script for this movie myself. Your support speaks volumes, doesn't it, Tommy?"

"Hmm? Okay then, you can help take a look too." After a little consideration, Tom Cruise agreed, thinking he might as well try anything.

Then, the two separated and entered the cinema one after the other.

Tom Cruise's new movie is, of course, "Rain Man".

This should be the best-received and most artistic film of his career, although Dustin Hoffman stole most of the limelight in the end.

However, because it was too artistic and lacked commercial elements, it encountered a lot of resistance in the early stages of project approval.

The script alone went through several revisions. Screenwriter Barry Morrow had limited understanding of the difference between autism and savant syndrome, and at one point confused the concepts while writing the script, he portrayed Raymond as a slightly neurotic ordinary person.

Dustin Hoffman, who had won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1980 for Kramer vs. Kramer, was naturally very dissatisfied with this, and the script fell into a temporary stalemate and seemingly endless revisions.

David figured that since they had run into each other, he might as well lend a hand.

The premiere is a key link in the film marketing chain, generating media exposure and public attention to build momentum for the film's official release.

However, this is not exclusive to big-budget productions; it is a common film marketing tactic in this era, and low-budget films can also participate.